


Reading the Runes

by ArkaneAssassin



Series: Moments of a Life [15]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Autism, F/F, F/M, Original Character(s), Post-Hogwarts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-24
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2020-09-25 21:15:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20378236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArkaneAssassin/pseuds/ArkaneAssassin
Summary: People can't always understand what's in front of them. Sometimes it takes an outsider to lay it bare.





	1. A Request for Assistance

** _The Potter Home, 2025_ **

“No, that doesn’t go there. I doubt they want me to write out the word for “duck” in Norse to do Ancient Runes,” came the sounds of a stressed 15 year old from the dining room, currently in the midst of yet another summer revision session having come back from Hogwarts.

“Well I had told you that this wasn’t my subject back at school but your Aunt’s,” replied the teenager’s father, being shown up by his offspring yet again before being joined by the inevitable face saving, “now Defence, that was my subject.”

“I know Dad, which is why you helped me with that yesterday. Runes is all I have left to go back through and you said, “I’m sure I can take a crack at it if you like”.”

“Poppet, you do know it’s only July. You have nearly two months to finish this so why don’t we call it for today, take a break, and go relax,” he suggested as he left the table to put the kettle on in the kitchen.

Violet could only get irritated by that, “we were told it’s best to do this early so that’s what I’m doing. Otherwise I’ll just keep thinking about it until it’s done.”

“Alright, alright. Why not go ask your mum for help then? I think she did Runes back at school.”

Violet shot up and paced across the hallway into the living room, finding it empty, “Mother?”

“I’m in here,” her mother half-shouted from the conservatory, Violet quickly finding her half knelt next to the coffee table in there with papers strewn around her. She looked over her shoulder with a lazy smile as she heard her daughter approaching, “what’s the matter Poppet?”

“Can you help me with my Runes work. Dad said you used to do it at school.”

“I barely passed Runes I think he’ll find,” she said, Violet hearing rather than seeing the eye-roll that no doubt followed, but she turned to give her an apologetic look, “I’d love to dear but I’m currently busy rewriting that oaf of a father you have’s reports so that he doesn’t end up causing yet another argument at work.”

“And this oaf is very lucky to have you to help,” her dad drawled as he came in with a mug in each hand, “here you go darling,” he alerted his wife as he leaned down to place a mug in one of the few empty spaces left on the table.

“Thanks oaf,” she teased before giving him a brief peck on the lips as he started to lean back up, before both seemed to realise their increasingly agitated daughter was still there waiting, “sorry Poppet, have you tried Granger? She was always a tedious bookworm.”

“Rang them a couple times earlier and left a message on their phone,” Violet answered briskly, trying to work her mobile out of her pocket to check if there’s a missed call she somehow didn’t feel vibrate.

“How about Alexis? I seem to recall she used to do homework of that sort when I was visiting Draco.”

“Thanks Mother,” she exclaimed, thankful for getting some instruction. She left her parents in the conservatory and went back into the living room as she brought up her brother’s contact info on her phone, mentally noting that she should probably get Alexis’ number if she needed further help, and gave it a call.

_Why does he have to let it ring so long!_

Finally she heard the telltale click as it connected, followed by a brief sound of shuffling and a tired sounding voice greeting her, “hey Vi, why are you calling so early?”

“It’s eleven.”

“Yeah, on a Saturday, so early.”

“No, you’re just being lazy. Is Alexis there, I need her to help me with some Runes work.”

“Yeah, hold on I’ll go find her,” her brother answered yawning. She could hear him through the phone stretching slightly and putting something on before stomping through the young couple’s London flat, “so, how are you?”

Violet mentally tutted. People knew she didn’t like small talk, it was pointless to her. If you had a reason for calling that was it, then it was goodbye as far as she was concerned. However she knew it’d just cause yet another argument otherwise, “I’m fine. Doing homework at the moment. How are you?”

“Things are great, well mostly. Managed to bag some Falcons season tickets for Lex for our anniversary which she was _very_ pleased with at the time but now seems to be upset with me somewhat, no idea sometimes. Will be living off instant noodles for a while though to cover it…”

Violet couldn’t help but butt in, “it’s because you showed her up.”

“… and… wait what?”

“You bought her a very expensive gift, probably cost you nearly 200 Galleons I’m guessing, which you probably presented at a dinner table in a fancy restaurant somewhere, while she gave you?”

“Jacket I was looking at…”

“Exactly.”

There was an awkward silence for a moment, Violet noting that James was no longer moving, “Well I don’t have a problem with the disparity. I know she wanted them for a while and missed out on them but I managed to grab some off a guy at work. I don’t see what’s wrong with that.”

“Have you tried telling her that?”

“No…”

“Try telling her that James.”

He had begun walking again by this point, “how is it for someone so awkward with people that you’re so good at explaining this?”

“I don’t know. Now is Alexis there?”

She heard him strain, likely opening the balcony door given the sharp increase in background noise, “yeah. Lex it’s Vi for you, something about her Rune’s homework.”

She heard some quiet words shared before the phone itself presented a light voice, “hello Violet. How can I help?”

“Could you help with some Runes work I’m struggling with. I can’t seem to get the translations right.”

A sympathetic voice came back, “any other day I’d love to. Unfortunately I’m busy meeting with people today and I also need to have a conversation with the husband about gift-buying. A general reminder that the glass is charmed to block outside noise while allowing those inside the flat to be heard outside appears to be needed as well,” she finished, struggling to give an annoyed tone amidst the humorous one.

“So you heard all that. He was just trying to be kind.”

“You don’t need to defend your brother, I know that. It’s just irritating how nice he can be sometimes you know.”

“Not really.”

That got a laugh, “no, I forgot you see the world in a different light to most. If you still need help by then I should be free next Sunday if that’s ok?”

“Ok,” Violet replied slightly dejectedly.

“I’m sure you’ll have it sorted by then no doubt. Look I better go, your brother is looking at me all sad dog again. Take care.”

Violet said her goodbyes before setting the phone down on the windowsill she’d ended up pacing to during the conversation. She ambled back into the conservatory to find both her parents sat on the floor now, her mother leaning on dad slightly. She walked past them to sit in the corner chair, causing them to look at her.

“Were you able to talk to her poppet,” her mother enquired.

“Yeah, she can’t help until next week at the earliest. James has done something stupid again,” Violet explained somewhat annoyed.

“This about those Falcons tickets, yes I know about those.”

“What’s this about tickets,” her dad asked, clearly having been left out the loop.

“Your darling son decided to spend no small sum on season tickets for his wife. Handed them to her as an anniversary present.”

“Don’t see anything wrong with that,” he said with a confused look on his face. From their current position Violet couldn’t see her mother’s face but she guessed she gave him a look, “oh, this is one of those weird social issues I think are stupid isn’t it?”

“Don’t worry dear, I’ll make you understand them eventually,” she teased with a squeeze of his hand on the table, “they’ll be fine. Eventually she’ll grow used to the burden of having an annoyingly caring husband.”

Dad put his hand on her forehead, “compliments for me? You sure you’re feeling ok?”

Violet was ready to interrupt them when she heard her phone go off in the lounge. Practically running to it she saw it was from Aunt Hermione’s house, “Aunt Hermione?”

Instead of Hermione’s warm yet serious teacher’s voice coming through the phone she instead heard a gentle accented one instead, “I’m guessing that’s you then cyw? You didn’t leave a message but I thought it might’ve been you given the three calls from this number.”

“Hello Auntie Grace,” Violet answered, “is Aunt Hermione there?”

“I’m afraid she’s out at the moment. What was it you were after?”

“I was looking for help for some homework, to do with Runes. I know she used to do it at school so I was wondering if she could help me.”

“Would those be runes from the Anglo-Saxon period by any chance,” the Welsh woman enquired, surprising Violet.

“Yes they would. That and Norse.”

“Well I do know quite a bit in that field, though I will admit it has been some years, so you could come over and see if I could help. If not Hermione is meant to be back this afternoon so you can have her help then?”

Violet grew ecstatic at that, “ok. Is it alright if I come over now?”

“Hold on, give me five minutes to set the fireplace and then you can come through.”


	2. Questions Answered and Raised

** _Yr afon gudd, 2025_ **

There were few places that Violet had fallen in love with over the years. There was the family home of course where she spent countless summer days curled up in her bay window reading, the cushioned seat having long grown frayed. There was the Hogwarts library where grand old ornamented bookcases in neat rows around a central table contained knowledge too vast to fully catalogue or absorb. There was Flourish and Blotts, the ramshackle old shop containing all sorts of new items as well as those trashy fictions she forever cursed her mother introducing her too whenever she hid one in her recent purchases. Her favourite however had to be Aunt Hermione and Auntie Gracelynn’s, whose living room was paradise to her.

The place had a completely rustic aura about it with exposed old timber everywhere including dark oak bookcases built into the walls that were filled to bursting with various items, from Muggle reference books to dusty tomes of ancient Magical legalise to a long row of Muggle magazines of a satirical or political variety. Even with the bookcases the books spread even further onto the table, besides the chairs and old sofa, to even holding the hallway door open allowing a warm cinnamon smell to drift in from the kitchen and mix with the woodsmoke from the fire. This latter feature was thankfully magically shielded to avoid everyone dying in an inferno.

“Here we go, knew I was right to keep these books around,” her host smiled as she returned from upstairs. Violet had calmed down somewhat but couldn’t help herself but quickly pull open the first book only for a photo to fall out, showing a younger Grace in what she surmised was her graduation from university. Apart from the slightly shorter auburn hair they were virtually identical from what she could see, with a warm lazy smile adorned to her face and an inquisitive look about her sharp features. Grace quickly picked it up and smiled nostalgically, “Cambridge, around twelve years ago now. Funny to think back then I had no idea any of this other world existing, I was just a young graduate having done Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic as a study subject and about to head into the Civil Service.”

“Is that where you met Aunt Hermione?”

“Yes. I was sat in the café one day reading a book on the subject where this woman, head of barely-tamed curls that looked like she’d been rushing around all day while clutching an assortment of files and books to her chest stopped to ask what I thought about it. About half an hour later after intensive discussions I found out her name was Hermione and she worked in “inter-community relations and integration,” one of those boring names given to departments that have some hidden purpose best left not asking questions about. Thought she was in Intelligence to begin with,” she laughed, “but you’re not here to talk about my relationship history.”

Moving on from that Grace opened up one of the oldest of the textbooks and glanced between that and the homework, looking for any similarity.

“Anglo-Saxon… no… Norse… doesn’t appear to be… ah, here we go. Elder Futhark. Right so, what do you think this one means,” she said as they began.

* * *

Gracelynn could hear Violet sat down and scribbling away on the table behind her in the kitchen, having joined the older woman as she cleaned up the remains of lunch. She smiled at how much the teenager reminded her of her own partner, easily seeing why the latter doted on the former so much, both showing a sharp focus on whatever work they were doing to the detriment of all else at times and seemingly unable to hand in any work that wasn’t at least a good thesis length.

She quickly wrapped her hair in a scrunchie before doing the dishes, “so how are things at home Violet?”

“Fine.”

“Mum and dad.”

“Same as always.”

Gracelynn shook her head slightly. She’d always found Violet rather unique in that regard, unless she had something to say she rarely said anything at all.

“Come on, there must be something.”

Violet stopped scribbling for a second, “my brother and Alexis are having a disagreement over nothing. He got her a gift, he was just being nice, but because of the gift being too nice it’s seen as bad. People are stupid.”

If anyone else had said that Gracelynn would think they were bitter but here Violet almost sounded… confused… she’d guess, “relationships are hard sometimes Violet. You know Hermione and I separated for a while only to get back together.”

“Yeah but you were both busy with work, Hermione said. And you realised it was stupid and got back together. Here nothing happened yet that nothing is now something simply because they want it to be something.”

“It probably isn’t that simple but I get your point. So anyone special in your life at the moment?”

“No,” the teen answered matter of factly. Gracelynn, took a quick look over her shoulder at Violet, only to find the girl still just looking at her books. Maybe she was a late-bloomer in that regard but it was hard to deny the young girl had a beauty to her with her long black hair framing an innocent face with astute green-eyes set behind rectangular-framed glasses.

“There must be someone you are at least interested in.”

“Not really, I find dealing with people hard.”

Gracelynn was set to enquire further but at that point they heard the front door open and a relieved groan after it closed again, “hello, I’m guessing someone’s here.”

“In the kitchen, cariad. Violet’s here as well,” Gracelynn announced.

A short shuffle later Hermione made herself known to the pair, “hello you two. What have you been up to?”

“Auntie Grace has been helping me with Runes homework,” the youngest of the three explained, showing her work for emphasis.

“Trying to get it out the way early?”

“Professor said best to do it early.”

“Well don’t lose yourself in the homework, you’ve got all summer to do it don’t forget.”

“This is the last of it.”

Even Hermione sounded surprised by that, “really? So any Runes left to,” she asked as she moved to put the kettle on.

“No, she was able to help do it all.”

Gracelynn felt the quick affectionate brushing of her arm, “not surprised. She was always brilliant at that,” as Hermione smiled at her.

“It was hardly the worst I’ve had to do. Besides it was nice to see what they set at that school of hers,” Gracelynn smiled back, “by the way I’ve moved those special tea bags of yours to the cupboard.”

Hermione finished making drinks before cradling hers for warmth, “so, what’s the plan for the afternoon?”

“Well given that we finished the work I was thinking we could go out to that bookshop in town and then a nice pub meal, how does that sound,” Gracelynn asked the room, getting an appreciative smile from Hermione and a nod from Violet.

* * *

Her interrupted conversation with Violet stayed on Gracelynn’s mind most of the evening, long after their guest had gone home, with even her bedtime reading being distracted by her thoughts. Apparently even her partner noticed this, “something on your mind Grace,” she asked from her position of resting her head on Gracelynn’s bare shoulder as she read her own book. Still made her smile when she realised how uncomfortable Hermione had been when they first got together about her habit of sleeping topless when Hermione, even when completely drunk or after sex, would manage to dress herself in pyjamas.

“Hmm, oh just some stuff Violet said today,” she huffed, putting down the report she’d read the abstract of for the last twenty minutes.

“This about her having done all her homework in about two weeks simply because she was told to?”

“So you noticed that too,” she asked, feeling Hermione’s nod, “she also talked about how she finds people hard to get and seemed confused by a disagreement James and his wife were having over a gift.”

“Yes, something about Falcons tickets. Pansy told me earlier when I took Violet home.”

“Also seemed disconnected from social issues in general. Does she have form for doing exactly what people tell her to do?”

Hermione started to sound concerned at that, “why, what are you thinking?”

“It’s just some training we had to do at work once, I think she might have some form of autism.”

Her partner stayed silent for some time, stuttering a couple of times as though she was about to say something only to not, “I have thought about it a couple of times. It’s just is it one of those things you can say to your two of your best friends about their child, that their child has a condition that will affect her life?”

“Well if she has it, she has it. I’m well aware of the stigma in my world about it but wouldn’t it be better if they knew about it than if they just are affected by it in silence?”

“I don’t know. Maybe we should talk to them about it carefully, and I do mean together. I don’t think it’s fair for one of us to do it alone.”

“Ok, we’ll just have to decide on when then,” Gracelynn agreed, “we seem to be piling up on conversations to have with them,” letting her own head fall back against the headboard. Hermione noticed the shift and pulled the report from her lap and placed it on the side-table.

“We can decide that tomorrow,” she sighed and moving to lie on her side with Gracelynn almost by instinct now joining her, wrapping an arm loosely round her slightly curved midriff.

Hermione briefly squeezed her hand, “love you Grace. Now can you shut that brain of yours off for five minutes?”

Gracelynn laughed into Hermione’s hair, “no promises.”


	3. Group Therapy

** _The Potter Home_ **

It hadn’t taken long for Hermione to organise a “chat” with Harry and Pansy about their joint concerns, finding themselves sat in the dining room of their home the following weekend. As per usual her partner had spent the last few evenings neck deep in books or online looking for information to solidify her argument. Gracelynn would try to talk her into slowing down given the pressure she was already under at that time but in the end would simply find herself roped in as well. Net result of course was that Hermione now sat with two folders full of information in front of her waiting to begin, Gracelynn keeping a hand on her arm out of sight below the table as a small comfort.

“So what was it that you needed to discuss with both of us Hermione,” Harry asked as he brought a tray of drinks from the adjoining kitchen before struggling to remember whose was whose as none of them drank the same. If anything hers was the only easy choice given it was coffee that morning.

“I really don’t know how to say this to either of you, it really does feel like I’m being horrible to you, but myself and Grace have some… concerns about Violet,” Hermione slowly and deliberately started, triggering the response they knew would happen.

“And what would these concerns of yours be then _Granger_,” Pansy ended rather sharply, her tone covering up the look of her eyes that appeared to be a mix of worry, fear, and anger. Hermione for her part looked past this and pressed onwards.

“We all know she’s a wonderful young woman. Polite, gifted, always willing to help you even if you’ve previously brushed them off. However we also know she’s… different. She doesn’t show much interest in much bar the few interests she really likes, she can become confused and annoyed if you give her unclear instructions, she’s honest to the point of rudeness at times, struggles to get why people would say one thing but mean another,” Hermione listed. Gracelynn zoned out slightly as her partner continued, more watching the faces opposite. Harry looked more and more stony, more distant, while Pansy’s maelstrom of emotions grew. It was when Hermione opened the first folder and began handing out a list of autistic traits that Pansy just grabbed her mug and got up.

“Pans, please just hear them out,” Harry rather weakly requested, probably wishing he could also just leave.

Pansy bitterly laughed, “no Harry, I won’t sit here and listen as this bit.. know-it-all once again decides to tell the rest of us how we’re doing it all wrong and how she, the one who is still yet to have children, would do it oh so much better,” she ranted, staring daggers at Hermione the whole time before briefly moving her gave over to Gracelynn herself and moving past to storm upstairs, no one still at the table speaking as they heard a door slam.

After some time Harry broke the silence, “I should probably go speak to her,” only for Hermione to stop him.

“No, this is my fault. I’ll speak to her,” she stated. Gracelynn couldn’t help but grab her arm and give her a meaningful look causing Hermione to softly smile back at her, “I’ll be fine. This isn’t the first time we’ve had an argument like this,” before moving towards the stairs, leaving just herself and Harry at the table in silence one again.

Gracelynn wasn’t going to lie to herself for pride’s sake, despite the closeness she had with the extended family she had been a part of for the last decade and a half she knew she was still the relative outsider of the group. How couldn’t she be, given she was the lone non-magical of them and also never went to school with them. She had one foot in their world but would never be able to leave her one in the same way her growing family have or will.

It genuinely terrified her.

“This isn’t the first time someone’s said this,” Harry said, breaking the silence. His eyes focused on the paper in front of him labelled _Signs of Autism_.

Gracelynn squinted her eyes slightly as she tried to run through the possibilities before settling on the most likely one, “her primary school?”

Harry just slowly nodded, “there was a letter, it’s probably in a folder somewhere in the attic actually, saying concerns had been raised about how Violet interacted with others. Nothing bad but just that she didn’t seem to spend much time interacting in the first place, focused more on her books and work to an “abnormal amount”, and how maybe it’d be worth looking further into it.”

“So what happened.”

“Pansy and I talked and laughed at how her being good at her work and not getting into trouble was now a bad thing and thought nothing of it. Stupid really.”

Gracelynn was sympathetic about that, “it’s not stupid Harry, you only wanted what’s best for her. It’s only in the last few years “Muggles” have really looked into this condition in any great depth societally. Neither myself or Hermione think that Violet has that substantial a form of it, just some slight issues with people skills, but I can’t honestly say what the treatment of her would be like in your world. It’s probably worth finding someone who knows about this in more detail though.”

Harry nodded, “yeah, no choice now really. It’s just scary to think about how both Violet could react to this and how it’ll affect how others treat her.”

“If I’ve learnt anything from being that girl’s auntie it’s that she’ll probably handle it better than any of us.”

Harry smiled at that and finally lifted his eyes from the papers, “yeah. She’s far better prepared than me at dealing with this sort of thing. Far smarter than both of us. I never did thank you by the way for helping out last weekend.”

“It was a pleasure as always Harry, I just wish all children would be as well behaved as she is. Others I fear I’ll find myself completely out of depth with,” she joke causing them both to laugh. Harry decided to make another drink.

“I won’t lie, especially in the case of my eldest it can be a struggle sometimes. But it’s worth it in the end to see them succeed,” he said proudly. Gracelynn looked at her mug and was hopeful that was generally the case.

* * *

Hermione sighed as she reached the master bedroom door, she knew this would be how Pansy would react. She knocked on the door lightly, causing a complaint from within.

“As long as you’re not a nosy busybody feel free to come in, else go away,” Pansy said loudly, causing Hermione to roll her eyes before entering anyway, “seems I can’t get people to do what I say in my own home.”

“I’m pretty sure this was Harry’s house long before he married you.”

Pansy smiled, “that’s what he thinks,” before turning away slightly to wipe her eyes, a moment it was unsaid both would ignore having happened as though it never did, “I’m sorry about how I acted Hermione.”

Hermione moved into the room, leaving the door slightly ajar behind her, and moved to what she concluded was Harry’s side of the marital bed. She sat to mirror Pansy, moving the pillows up against the headboard, and taking the chance to look at the photo frame Pansy had in her hands. It was a picture she’d seen before, one of proud parents posed on either side of their daughter returning from her first year at Hogwarts and having just alighted from the Hogwarts express, clearly groaning at being forced to take such a public photo before putting on a smile matching her parents, “don’t worry about it. I’ve faced worse. How are you doing though?”

“I… I don’t know,” Pansy breathed out, “I remember how I was back in Hogwarts, I was awful. This bully who thought she was better than everyone based on her house colours and that nasty “blood purity” rubbish, and I’m sorry for how I treated you and others all those years.”

Hermione smiled at that, “I know that Pansy. You’ve apologised, drunkenly and otherwise enough over the years. As much as I would’ve thought it unthinkable at the time I’m glad we’re friends.”

“And yet you continue to let me wallow about it,” Pansy laughed for a brief moment, “don’t think you were much better anyhow. Thinking you knew the answer to everything, to the point you felt the need to explain the sorting ceremony to me when we entered the Great Hall for the first time and yes I remember that,” she added with a wry smile catching Hermione’s slightly shocked look, “yet despite being, along with my heroic husband and that walking trash can that is Ronald, a constant rule breaker you felt the need to lord your morality over us.”

She was mature enough to admit part of her still wanted to contest that after all these years, more out of pride than anything else, that her rule-breaking was to do a greater deed but she really… well she knew that wasn’t much of an excuse, “yes. I know I was, shall we say, sure of myself…”

“More like you saw everyone else as wrong. Sorry, won’t interrupt again,” Pansy added when she caught the half-hearted glare thrown her way.

“…And I largely refused to understand why things had been done the way they were in the wizarding world. There were enough times when probably just having bothered to not be such a snooty cow to others who grew up in that world would’ve saved us a lot of grief. I’ve had to come to a lot more cooperative positions to get where I am today.”

“And then there’s the cause of our mutual contact in Harry who still hasn’t quite gotten to grips with the idea that not jumping head first into a situation and just sort of figuring it out in the moment would be more beneficial. And Merlin can he be a miserable sod at times,” Pansy remarked, now looking fondly at the photo in her lap, “yet despite all that, and others in Violet’s life, our daughter somehow ended up being this polite, kind, brilliant child, far smarter than I’ll ever be even now. That despite all the worries about ending up repeating our mistakes she managed to avoid them all only to be told that wasn’t because of something she’s done right but that in reality there’s something abnormal with her…”

“I’m not going to pretend to know what you’re going through right now,” Hermione began, “but I don’t think you need to worry about her too much. She’s very happy with who she is and seems to have people close to her who care about her regardless. I just think it’d be useful for herself and you two to know exactly what she might have and how that could affect her.”

Pansy just sighed, “yes, you’re probably right. I should probably go talk to the other half about this. Still, I guess this is all good practice for you given your little secret.”

Hermione was shocked by that and looked at the sly smile and the eyes that appeared to be all-knowing all of a sudden, “I don’t know what…”

“Yes you do Hermione. You’ve been drinking that one mug of tea today, which I don’t get how you can drink unsweetened to begin with, even slower than typical and haven’t cared to bring it up here. Your clothes are even more baggy than usual, and every so often you just randomly brush your hand over your stomach. So how far along are?”

Hermione was rather annoyed at being so easily found out but it was also like a weight had been lifted being able to share the news with someone, “just gone ten weeks. We were waiting until after the first trimester just to be sure but that’s rather pointless now isn’t it.”

“Well if you wanted to keep it a secret maybe don’t be friends with the Prophet’s finest. I’m happy for you Hermione, the both of you. I’m sure you’ll make at least as good a parent as me and Harry have managed,” she beamed before joking, “and this time it’ll make sense for them to turn out to be a bookworm.”

“Probably easier to handle that than other options,” Hermione agreed, even if it hadn’t been the most sincere comment Pansy had ever made, “do you mind not telling Harry yet. I want to wait a few weeks first before I let anyone else know.”

Pansy was already smiling at her, “what, the chance to know something he doesn’t about you? Don’t mention it.”

“What don’t I know,” came a voice from the door, with their other halves showing themselves. Before she had a chance to explain Pansy interrupted with her usual tact.

“Oh, we’re having an affair. Decided to deal with all that sexual tension from our schooldays,” Pansy faux-explained before suddenly cuddling closer to the woman next to her. Both those at the door were more than used to Pansy’s antics by now so did little more than shake heads or roll eyes.

“Well have fun dealing with her buying habits and family events, Hermione,” Harry answered, “so are you pair of lovebirds joining us for dinner or shall we leave you to your salacious activities?”

Pansy huffed, “fine, I guess.”

* * *

Despite the earlier issues Harry felt the evening had gone rather well all-considered, as he sat in bed reading through the latest draft Pansy helped him with while she was happy with one of her magazines. Dinner was a happy affair between the four of them as they caught up with their lives while Violet returned from her day out with James and Alexis happy and once again carrying even more books to fit somewhere in her room. It was still hard however to avoid wondering if there was something in that he should now be aware of rather than her just being a fan of books, “I’ll phone up the doctors on Monday about Vi. See if they have anyone who can look at this.”

“Hmm,” Pansy stirred, “going the Muggle option I see?”

“Well Hermione and Grace are probably right, that there’ll probably be more found there than Magically.”

“Probably true, those two are usually right,” Pansy concurred, before looking at him and pre-empting his retort, “and not a word to them that I praised them.”

“What were you two talking about anyway earlier on up here?”

“Oh, just the usual. Mostly about Violet to be honest,” she yawned before placing her magazine on the table and moving to lie down. Harry took the signal and did the same before turning the lights off, “she’ll be alright with this won’t she?”

“If our daughter is anything, it’s understanding,” Harry reassured her, “so try and get some sleep,” he finished before wrapping an arm around her.

“Oh, Hermione,” she teased.

“Watch it you,” he chuckled.


	4. A Winter of Much Content

** _The Potter Home, December 2025_ **

“You think she’s ok, it’s been an hour,” Pansy remarked as she paced back and forth in the living room, the silence only broken up by the sound of her steps and her nibbling on her nails.

“She’s only in her room, I’m pretty sure she’d say something if she needed us,” Harry sighed, more watching as Cleo’s head tracked her currently preferred “parent” moving around the room than her herself. Eventually she stopped midstride before rather sullenly collapsing onto the sofa and leaning against her husband.

“Well she probably understands more about this than either of us anyhow. It’s just that I’m not going to have any nails left at this rate,” she laughed slightly at she examined her hands, running the pad of her thumb over her nails. Harry gently took hold of one of them and looked at the now shortened jagged ends.

“Never noticed you’re a nail biter.”

“I was as a child, Mother used to put this stuff on them to stop me biting them and said it was “very unladylike” so for nearly three decades, outside a couple of relapses, I haven’t regularly bitten them. This situation however seems to have completely undone that.”

“I doubt anyone will notice that much,” he comforted only to give him laugh and an unbelieving look.

“It’s been a slow news week dear, ergo any fashion “horror show” is prime target for filling pages. Still, at least it makes a good excuse for a day out with the ladies.”

“Which I guess will evolve into a ladies’ night out and you stumbling in at two in the morning,” he teased as she rolled her eyes.

“Well maybe if I had plans, say dinner at a lovely little restaurant with a handsome man who treats me as the most important person in the world, I could avoid the night out this time,” she hinted.

“Sorry but I don’t think anyone at the office is willing to suffer you for that long,” he joked, causing her to cuff him round the head which only made him laugh further, “see, you can’t help but abuse people.”

“Your choice how I hurt you Potter, your face or your wallet,” she mockingly threatened with a toothy grin.

“Wallet it is this time then I guess,” he huffed, before looking at his watch, “talking of time we’ve got about half an hour before we need to leave so I better go make sure she’s ready,” he explained as he stood up and fiddled with the collar currently half tucked under his jumper. Pansy however moved to stop him.

“Hold on, I’ll go. I want to have a chat with her anyway,” she explained before passing him for the stairs, glad she hadn’t put her heels on just yet. Making her way to the top of the stairs she knocked on her daughter’s door before letting herself in to find her daughter curled up in the bay window with a book in her arms and Juniper purring in her lap while the envelope that had caused the problems of today sat open and abandoned on the bed. After nearly six months of forms, tests, and exams it had to be today that the final letter arrived, confirming that Violet did indeed have some form of “Autism Spectrum Disorder” though it was noted the effect was minimal and largely limited to the already noted issues on socialisation. At the time they had been getting ready to head to the Burrow for Hermione’s baby shower but instead Violet had immediately disappeared back into her room, door closed, and left her parents waiting for any sort of reaction from her regarding the news, “you ready there Poppet?”

It was a rather pointless question admittedly, having never really succeeded in getting Violet dressed promptly as she should be for events, either having to accept on time but incredibly casual or an uphill hours long battle at recommending dress after dress the teenager didn’t see the point in wearing. Thankfully the event tonight was rather casual making the current look of a ratty and fraying jumper she’d nibble at when deep in thought and fading dark jeans acceptable for once. Violet gave herself a glance that lasted all of two seconds before going back to her book, “I guess,” causing Pansy to shake her head.

“Come on, let me at least brush your hair out,” she advised, at least determined to avoid looking like she let her daughter grow up in complete squalor. Violet groaned in a way too reminiscent of a certain middle-aged man before lifting an immediately upset cat from her lap and trudging to her desk, the mirror upon which that was lain against the wall dusty from severe lack of use. As Pansy moved towards her and accioed her brush from the master bedroom Violet pulled her own wand from where it currently held her hair up before shaking it out slightly to reveal that her mother had her work cut out for her, “you know it wouldn’t hurt to run a brush through this mess once in a while.”

“It’s only hair,” Violet shrugged.

“Maybe, but it doesn’t hurt to make an effort, especially if you want to meet someone special,” she teased.

“Well why would I want to pretend to be someone I’m not if I want someone to be interested in _me_,” her daughter answered, displaying her unique yet logical way of looking at things.

“That’s a fair point, though the two aren’t mutually exclusive. Look at myself and your father, or your brother and Alexis. We all dress up to show the other person we’ve made an effort for the circumstance in question. It’s not necessarily about you but the other person."

“I guess. Still better to find someone who doesn’t need that in the first place,” she countered rather idealistically in Pansy’s opinion.

“Well it’s up to you but I’ll always be here if you need help,” she smiled to her daughter in the mirror, “so… do you want to talk about the letter?”

“Not really,” she answered, but explained after seeing her mother’s look of confusion in the mirror, “that letter doesn’t change who I am, it just provides a label and an explanation for who I’ve always been and why.”

Pansy couldn’t help but smile at that, “that’s a very mature attitude young lady. I’m proud of you,” she complimented only to receive a shrug in response, “and I think we’re about done. Come on then, say goodbye to Juniper and let’s go downstairs,” she ordered as the young girl practically sprinted to kiss the cat on the head, drawing a contented purr, before rushing downstairs where Harry was waiting, “seriously, dearest?”

“What,” her husband asked confused as he continued to ruffle the teenager’s hair.

* * *

“I really don’t know why I bother sometimes”, Pansy remarked rather irritated as her daughter assumedly made her way up the path to the Burrow, hair once again held up by wand and eyes still deep inside a book she wanted to bring with her.

“It’s the thought that counts,” her husband chuckled beside her as he squeezed her hand.

“Says the man who ruined all my work,” she emphasised with a light punch to his arm.

“Well how was I supposed to know you were going to try and get her to smarten up,” he grinned, because wasting her time was apparently the height of comedy for the great big oaf.

“The fact you think brushing hair constitutes “smart” tells me exactly where she gets her bad habits from you know.”

“Surely if it’s the norm then it means you’re the one with the strange or bad habits,” he teased in counter-argument, causing her to roll her eyes, before pointing with their joined hands to the nearby hedgerow, “besides it could be worse.”

Pansy looked to see the youngest two of the Lovegood brood digging around in the undergrowth, faces caked with who knows, as they hunted yet another fanciful creature their mother had no doubt claimed was abundant. To be fair it was clearly an excellent way to get kids out of your hair for a good long while seeing as they must’ve been at it for quite some time, “fine. You win this one Potter.”

“What are you two lovebirds arguing about now,” came the amused voice of George Weasley from the doorway.

“About how failing to brush your hair is a sign of the downfall of civilisation apparently,” Harry remarked.

“It’s not my fault I don’t like how I accidentally allowed laziness into the family bloodline,” she haughtily replied in jest.

“You know, it was your marriage that made me finally see the benefit of losing an ear. Means I only have to listen to half the rubbish you two come out with,” he joked before pulling out a standard galleon from his pocket, “here. Watch this.”

She watched as he passed his hands together to make the coin “disappear” before reaching behind her ear and pulling the same galleon back out, “If I was five I’d probably give you a smile,” she explained with a slight shake of the head. Unaffected he flicked the coin to her.

“Look closer,” he smiled causing Pansy to take a closer look, seeing that the dragon and goblin head had been replaced by a snake and her head respectively with both featuring their respective house mottos.

“Ok, that is somewhat impressive,” she admitted.

“Personalised galleons. Not too complicated but fun to use. Trying to Gringotts to accept them as legitimate currency at the moment,” he beamed only to complain when she stuck it in her dress pocket, “hey, that’s mine.”

She slyly grinned at that, “I don’t see your face on it,” she offered before squeezing past the older man as she left him and her husband caught up, finding herself now committed to the mad house beyond. She could find the Burrow a tiring experience at the best of times but the not even close to “organised” chaos currently reigning inside was enough to cause dread as four generations of the weird community she was part of squished together, with her generation already seeing a couple grandchildren dotted around here and there, or more precisely one of them trodding on her foot already.

“I’m sorry about that Mrs Potter,” came someone’s voice as they breezed past, from their complexion she guessed the second Fred Weasley, before they shouted after their young child, “come back here now.”

Resisting the urge to scream after him about basic childcare she raised her head to try and see round the various lanky redheads that her hosts seemed destined to always be before spying the gaggle of women she was most familiar with, proceeding to ease her way past the various pairings in her way to try and involve herself in the conversation already in progress that must be good given Granger was already slowly turning bright red.

“… common knowledge. The spell takes an egg and turns it into… well you know, allowing both women to be the biological parents,” the heavily pregnant woman was already explaining to her smirking friends.

“We all know that, what I meant was…”

“I think what Padma’s trying to ask is whether it was self-applied or did Grace take an active role in knocking you up,” Tracey bellowed causing them to all break into laughter as Hermione went bright scarlet at that point.

“Tracey! Honestly I don’t know why I’m friends with the lot of you!”

Pansy made her presence known at that point, “because without us you’d still be a miserable know it all and completely unbearable,” she smiled before gently hugging the woman, or at least at much as she could around her rather _prominent _seven month along stomach, “really Granger, I know you’re always inclined to get an Outstanding for Effort but did you really need to have twins?”

“It wasn’t exactly a choice Pansy,” the woman rolled her eyes, “but thanks for showing up… eventually.”

“Blame your niece for that. How that girl turns up to lessons on time I do not know.”

“Cherish it while you can though, all too soon they’ve graduated and are out making their way in the world,” Daphne, the fifth member of their group, intoned in her usual elegant way. Looking at the statuesque blonde you’d be hard-pressed to see how she’d had her first of three two decades ago given her hourglass figure, lack of stress lines, and general classic sex appeal.

_Bitch._

“I’ll have you know Daph I do cherish it. I do also simultaneously find it truly annoying.”

“That doesn’t make any sense Pansy,” the expectant mother interrupted only for her more outgoing lookalike in Ms Davis to disagree.

“It will when you do have kids,” she explained, the woman much like her Gryffindor counterpart being no stranger to more unique family circumstances in being the mother to Seamus and Dean’s pair of boys, one of whom bore her last name. She’d still yet to find someone understanding of her living with a pair of married men she wasn’t intimate with to settle down with herself but she’d never been the settling down type to begin with.

“Well right now I’d settle for being able to see my ankles again, and for them not to be so sore all the time,” Hermione complained, “that goes for just about everything these days.”

“This is why I didn’t have kids, much easier to be the fun aunt instead,” Padma declared, “also you get to choose the hours.”

“It’s still worth it though,” Tracey argued to murmurs of agreement from the other two parents in the group, “though I don’t miss the sleepless nights from crying and two in the morning feedings.”

“Talking of feeding that’s something else I won’t miss, the constant cravings. If you’ll excuse me I’m going to get something to eat,” Hermione mentioned before giving Pansy a look to follow, leaving the woman to make her excuses as well.

“I’ll come get a drink as well in that case,” Pansy offered before following the waddling woman to the banquet laid out near the kitchen.

“It’s a good thing Arthur is busy interrogating my parents still, I don’t think they’d be happy seeing this,” Hermione explained as she filled her plate with various nibbles and snacks, most of which were teeth-rottingly sweet, “Harry informed me earlier that Violet got her results today. What was the verdict?”

“Yes, it’s official. Violet does indeed have that condition we talked about. She’s taking it in her stride as expected though thankfully,” Pansy informed her proudly.

“That’s great, but how are you feeling about it?”

“Pfft, I don’t know to be quite honest. No one here would ever give her grief about it but I’m still not entirely sure what others would do or think.”

“You’ll never be sure about that though, but knowing who she is I don’t think anyone would be silly enough to do anything,” Hermione comforted before scoffing on a cake, “where is Violet anyway?”

Pansy gave a quick look around to see that Harry was now speaking to Andromeda as Violet happily followed the grandee’s grandson around, clearly having a jovial conversation judging from his warm yellow hair at the minute, “the usual, stuck to following Ted around.”

“Not surprising in hindsight is it, that boy always wore his heart on his sleeve… or rather hair. Far easier for her to converse with him than others,” Hermione offered before closing her eyes in pain slightly, “do you mind if we sit down somewhere?”

Pansy led the way to a free seat where the pair unceremoniously fell onto, “are you sure you’re not turning into a Weasley,” she teased when Hermione rested the paper plate on her belly before stealing a biscuit from the rather unstable pile.

“Hey, get your own if you want some,” she laughed back before grabbing Pansy’s hand to put it on her stomach, “clearly a couple others agree with me.”

Pansy could feel the odd squirming sensation of Hermione’s children stirring within her, “not long now until I meet you two in person,” she gently intoned, unable to remove the smile from her face.

* * *

The night had proceeded pleasantly after that with the pair of them being joined at various points by the other guests, first Ron and Lavender offering some of the long-stored baby items they’d put away ever since they’d finally discovered birth control after four children, James and Alexis asking a series of questions about how she handled being pregnant that saw the mid-forty women sharing a knowing look, while the Lovegood woman offered advice on the best position from which to “allow her joys to enter the world”. Matching Molly’s six she clearly had the most experience on that front admittedly. After the group congratulation those who had somewhere to be slowly departed, leaving those left to recover on the seats provided or dancing gently to the music now playing that saw Pansy having grabbed her husband and chosen the latter.

Arms interlaced behind his neck she gently swayed in time with him, “how was your evening dearest?”

Harry gave a sound of contentment as he looked down at her, hands on her hips where one thumb gently rubbed her side, “lovely. I see you stole Hermione for much of it. Lot to talk about?”

“Maybe. I think she was mostly happy to have a reason to stay sitting down.”

“Surprised she didn’t run away in terror,” he teased, getting a slight tug on his hair as a reward, “feisty this evening.”

“Watch it Potter,” she laughed, pulling him closer still to rest her head on his shoulder, choosing to watch as the parents to be stood much like them, Grace standing behind Hermione with arms circled protectively around her, Hermione leaning her head back on the taller woman’s shoulder as her hands clasped over the ones on top of her distended stomach and smiling as the redhead whispered words into her ear. In that moment Pansy decided to ask the question that had plagued her on and off for years but had grown alarmingly for the last few weeks, “do you want to have another child Harry?”

She felt him stiffen before moving his upper body back at that to look down at her, his eyes speaking of confusion, “I thought you didn’t want any more kids after Violet?”

“I didn’t, we both know I didn’t exactly take to pregnancy all that well…”

“You mean you were almost unbearable and threatened to leave me at least twice,” he informed as though she wasn’t very much aware of her mood swings during that time.

“Yes, that, not that you handled it well at times either though Potter,” she retorted, him having moved in with Hermione for nearly a month at one point leading to every Weasley sticking their noses into her business.

“Point taken. If we did this, not that I’m saying yes just yet, it’d mean we wouldn’t have the house to ourselves until we’re nearly 60. Are you definitely sure about that,” Harry asked carefully. She smiled.

“I’ll be alive until I’m nearly 140 Harry, I think I can handle only 80 years of freedom from children,” she joked, “I have spent a long time thinking about this.”

“What changed your mind? It’s not because of Violet is it?”

“Of course not. I’ve thought about this a few times over the last few years but it never seemed like a good time. We were either busy or there was no one else having kids meaning they wouldn’t exactly have anyone we knew to socialise with. Now however…”

“There’ll be at least two others to go to Hogwarts with, even if ours is a year behind,” he finished. He appeared to think for a while before meeting her eyes again, “if you’re sure about this, and I do mean **sure **about this, then I say let’s do it,” he smiled kindly.

She leaned up to kiss him only to be interrupted by their current brood, “can we go now?”

Pansy couldn’t help but recall one of the leaflets the now laughing woman near them, it turns out only one of the several in the room enjoying Violet’s interruption of festivities, had provided them.

_One of the most common symptoms of Autism is inappropriate bluntness in social situations_.


End file.
